Coun Moore (Erdington) said: “The parking situation again worries me. This is 38 per cent provision. I know they are including some bike spaces. But this is Birmingham not Beijing.

Chinese conmuters' bikes are lined up at a metro station in Beijing - Birmingham's not like this says councillor

“A lot of people that cycle still own a car and I have concerns that we have a lot of city centre schemes without adequate car parking being provided.”

But planning officers argued that there is less demand for and less need for car parking in the city centre given the good public transport links.

Another committee member Coun John Clancy (Lab, Quinton) felts that a £800,000 spin off contribution for local services was too low, but the officials said it had been reduced to take account of the fact that it was a conservation scheme.

Original parts of the factory are to be refurbished and retained, later extensions will be demolished and replaced with five or six storey blocks.

As well as 291 apartments the development will provide two shops and a gym.

The project forms the first phase of the wider £80 million St George’s Urban Village scheme (see gallery below) on land between Pope Street and Carver Street which will eventually see more than 600 homes created on a six-acre site.

Phil Carlin, managing director of Seven Capital said: “The Kettleworks is such a prominent site in the Jewellery Quarter but it has remained unoccupied for far too long.

“We are looking forward to bringing it back to life and creating new homes that will attract more people and bring economic benefits and further growth to the area.”